Fellowship of Fantasy: Reader Reviews

Rating: PGReason for choice of rating: Romantic tension between the two main characters, people getting turned to ice and melted, epic battle at the end with mild fantasy violence

The Review:Rizkaland is unique and every bit as much fun as Bookania, but in different ways. The world is cylinder-shaped, science works differently there, and of course, portals exist between our world and there, so our hero and heroine are not native to Rizkaland.The main characters, Clara and Andrew, hail from our world, and get pulled through a doorway into Rizkaland in order to fulfill a prophecy and save multiple kingdoms from Amber, the dragon who threatens their world. However, Clara and Andrew aren’t certain they want anything to do with this destiny that has been thrust upon them. And they certainly have no interest in falling in love with each other, as the prophecy seems to imply must happen!Things I Loved:The Writing Style – It’s hard to describe a writing style, as each reader is going to have a different sort of taste or preference, but Kendra’s writing just sort of draws me in and invites me to pull a warm blanket around my shoulders and settle in, because I just know I’m about to embark on a fun adventure.Andrew – Andrew is my favorite character in this story. He is responsible, caring, compassionate, and exactly the sort of person you’d want on your side if you had to go up against a dragon. I love that he represents a more “hearth-like” sort of fire, the steady, gentle glow that keeps you warm, rather than the raging inferno or devouring monstrosity that “fiery” personalities usually engender. But that doesn’t mean he’s weak, on the contrary, it might take more to get him riled, but Andrew is no slouch when it comes to protecting the people he cares about. He has a core of steel.Clara – Although it took me longer, I did eventually grow to enjoy Clara. She got on my nerves a bit in the beginning, but she was frightened and so I suppose it makes sense that she felt the need to be prickly. I also have a soft spot for feisty, talented female protagonists who are a bit marshmallowy inside than they seem. Clara’s not as tough as she’d like you to think she is.The plot - From mazes and puzzles to solve, journeys across foreign lands, quests to find each other, hints that not all is as it seems, and the culmination of an epic battle… this story was fun to read!The references – Clara quotes things. I quote things. I think, on that front, we’d be kindred spirits. It makes me happy that I “got” every reference she made, and it was entertaining to come across these little quote-nuggets throughout the book.Things I Didn’t Love:As I mentioned earlier, Clara took a while to grow on me. She starts out kind of obnoxious, and I sort of wanted to shake her every now and then.There were a few places where the story felt like it dragged a little and nothing seemed to be happening.The battle at the end sort of felt like it ended too easily, like Amber had been hyped-up a bit too much… I guess I was expecting something a bit more epic and grand in scope.The “it’s all going to end okay” use of prophecy throughout the story kind of grated a bit on my nerves. Don’t get me wrong, I love the prophecy trope (I wrote one, myself!), I love books with happy endings and I always want the good guys to win… but I don’t want to know a quarter of the way into the book that the ending WILL be happy and that the good guys will win. For me, that detracts from the adventure. Everything was spelled out so neatly in the prophecy, it wasn’t a mysterious prophecy, it was a “this is what is going to happen, so get on board and go do it” kind of prophecy, and for me, that made it hard to get too worried about the characters.These are minor quibbles, however, and overall the story was an enjoyable read.Ideal Audience:I think this would be a great book for readers 12 and up who enjoy bantering characters, sword fights, and portal fantasy.

Books and movies you would compare this to:I recommend it to anyone who enjoys The Chronicles of Narnia, Alice in Wonderland, Inkheart, or portal fantasies in general.

Did you have a favorite character or least favorite character?Favorite: Andrew

What mood did this book leave you in?Satisfied... but that EPILOGUE!!! *sobs*

The Review:The Tales of Goldstone Wood by Anne Elisabeth Stengl have quickly become some of my all-time favorite books in the past couple of years. Each book is better than the last, and Draven’s Light did not disappoint.

Though it is only a novella, Draven’s Light is a powerful story that explores the themes of courage and cowardice, love and self-sacrifice, standing up for what is right even when you’re the only one, darkness versus light, and many many more.

Like her other novella, Goddess Tithe, this story does not follow any of the main characters that we’ve come to know and love in the rest of the Goldstone Wood Saga, but rather explores some side-characters whose stories have been hinted at but not completely revealed. However, despite the lack of appearance by Eanrin or Imraldera, this little story packs a powerful punch. Written in the style of a story-within-a-story (one of my favorite story-telling devices), we meet a young girl who is tasked with taking water up to the two men who are building a large structure on the hill above her village. She is a bit scared of them, but she takes the water up and meets Akilun, who is carving a statue from a tree. When he notes her interest, he begins to tell her the story of the man whose likeness he is carving. The girl returns day after day, spellbound by the story of Draven, “The Coward.”

I could hardly bear to put this book down each night when I had reached the end of my allotted reading time. I sped through it swiftly, devouring the story from its pages. And in spite of the fact that I did guess the big surprise twist before it was revealed, that did not detract at all from my enjoyment of this wonderful story.

I would unreservedly recommend this and any other story in the Tales of Goldstone Wood. I anxiously hope for the day that it continues once more, but at least there are quite a few stories already written in this world to keep me entertained until then.

Ideal Audience:Ages 12 and up and anyone who enjoys adventure stories with a fairy-tale feel

The Review:This book is beautifully written and completely different from anything I have ever read before. This could partially be due to it being slightly off-set from my typical preferred genre, but I think it was more than that.

There are fantasy elements to this novel, but they are extremely subtle. For the most part, this story reads like an historical romance, though the romantic elements are also extremely subtle and woven into the story in such a way that make it almost seem that they aren't really there, or that the story doesn't need them. There's a hint of steampunk, a glimmer of Christian Inspiration, and a whole lot of adventure. It's one of those books that just sort of has a bit of everything. And while it boasts no dragons or magic or dark lords of evil intent on conquering the world (or... are there...?) it still captured my heart completely.

The characters truly step off the page. Though books written in first-person present tense are not usually my favorite, I found that I did not mind riding around in the main character's head. Perhaps it is because Izzy feels more like a real person than a caricature, as can often be the case with first person present tense stories. She is a character who is unsure of who she is, she has holes in her memory and cannot remember anything prior to coming to live at Gudwyne cottage—though she knows she was burned in a bad fire at some point before then, she has the scars and the memories of being cared for after they happened, but she does not know how or why she was burned. And yet, her uncertainties do not define her. She is not crippled by her doubts and fears, but works to overcome them, and even uses them to spur herself on when faced with adversity.

Jonathan is Izzy's self-appointed guardian. Though he is only 8 years her senior, he has been taking care of her since she was seven years old. Back then, Izzy gave him permission to keep her past a secret, to hold her memories for her. But now, Izzy is eighteen and starting to feel the weight of those secrets... she wants to know who she was and what happened to bring her to the Gudwyne's, but Jonathan seems unwilling to loose the secrets he has been holding for the past eleven years.... so Izzy sets out with her young friend, Tubs, to find the answers to the secrets Jonathan refuses to tell her. However, in spite of her curiosity, she is unprepared for the truth. When she sees a glimpse of what has been hidden from her, Izzy is not sure she will ever recover... or see Jonathan the same way again.

But events are transpiring swiftly, and before she can begin to cope with the fragments of her stolen past that are returning, she finds herself thrust into a new adventure across the ocean to the New World, where the rest of her history and heritage lie waiting for her to claim them, as well as her rightful place among her true people.

There were moments in this story that made me laugh out loud. Izzy has a no-nonsense, self-deprecating sense of humor, and her stray thoughts are often truly amusing.

There were moments in this story that got me a little choked up. And there were moments in this story that had me sobbing uncontrollably and incapable of reading further until I could clear my eyes of the tears that made the pages swim into an unreadable jumble of blurry letters.

There were surprises, and adventures, and a beautiful Christian message of forgiveness and salvation woven throughout the story in a way that was both gentle and not-at-all-preachy or allegorical. If you like stories such as The Sign of the Beaver, Hind's Feet on High Places, Pride and Prejudice, and The Ilyon Chronicles, this book is one I think you would definitely enjoy: it has elements of all of these.

Ideal Audience:Good for anyone who likes a lot of adventure and hints of romance and steampunk/fantasy

Books and movies you would compare this to:Pride and Prejudice, The Ilyon Chronicles, Hind's Feet on High Places, Sign of the Beaver

Did you have a favorite character or least favorite character?My favorite character was Tubs. My least favorite character was Jared... shudder.

What mood did this book leave you in?Kind of weepy... satisfied... anxious for the sequel.

Rating: PGReason for choice of rating:There are some pretty intense fight scenes with wolves where characters sustain significant injuries, descriptions are not graphic but still intense

The Review:"Rose of the Oath" introduces the reader to the Legends of Light series. Aslaria is a land gripped in war between the King and a group of rebels who want to take control of the land. The story begins with a strong young woman Elissa heading off to save her brother similar to how Belle sets off to find her father in the Disney version of Beauty and the Beast. The other typical Beauty and the Beast story elements are present but Hope Ann makes the story her own with the war and some very strong faith components.

Elissa has lost her faith in the King due to a tragedy revealed as the story progresses. Her sole focus is on keeping her family safe. The Beast seems determined to keep her locked up and all she can think about is getting away.

I was a little confused about exactly what was happening a couple times in the story but I think it might have been intentional as I understood most things by the end of the story.

There are many forces at work in the story leading to a surprising amount of action and suspense. More so than what I expected in a fairy tale retelling. I was biting my nails worried about what was going to happen to Elissa and the Beast throughout the story.

Love was demonstrated as a fruit of the spirit in the story, a choice, an outgrowth of faith/what you believe not a mushy feeling or something that just happens to you without any control. Definitely no insta-love or lust to worry about here.

The faith component was very strong as it was obvious, even though names were never used, that the King represented God and the Prince represented Jesus and they were in a battle against Tauscher who represents Satan to redeem the hearts of the people who had chosen to sin. I strongly recommend reading the prequel "Rose of the Night" to understand this war better and how the Beast came to be.

I definitely recommend reading "Rose of The Oath" and starting your journey through the Legends of Light series.

Ideal Audience:Good for those who love fairy tale retellings particularly Beauty and the Beast

Books and movies you would compare this to:Disney's Beauty and the Beast; Chronicles of Narnia

Did you have a favorite character or least favorite character?the Beast was my favorite character - he was a true protector and hero

What mood did this book leave you in?inspired by the message of love and faith woven into the story and eager to read the other stories in the series

I read Andrew Lang's "Beauty and the Beast" right before I read "Rose of Prophecy" so I could see how different this re-telling was. The key elements of the original story were present in "Rose of Prophecy" but little changes here and there made this story much better than the original in my opinion. One change early on, that I don't think is a big spoiler and that I really liked, is that this family actually loved each other and the siblings weren't spoiled and selfish.

The author's ability to paint pictures with her words was amazing. I love the first lines of the book. "I am afraid. Not because I am alone. Not because thick roiling clouds obscure the moon. Not because the wind rushes through the forest like a wild dragon. I am afraid because I am late. And to be late means death." The imagery is very vivid and the words hooked me right away. I didn't understand exactly what the words meant until I got farther into the story but I definitely wanted to find out what was going on. Even if this had been just a straight re-telling with no twists/changes in the story, it would have still been a pleasure to read.

The most exciting part for me however was how the author made this into a Christian retelling. It took me a little while to realize that the King represented God and the Prince was Jesus but once I did, I really enjoyed watching the battle unfold between the King/the Prince and Tauscher (Satan). By the end of the novella, it became clear how Beauty and the Beast's story fit into this overarching battle between the King/Prince and Tauscher.

Ideal Audience:Those who enjoy the "Beauty and the Beast" fairy tale and would like a Christian element added to the story

Books and movies you would compare this to:Chronicles of Narnia; The Merchant's Daughter by Melanie Dickerson

What mood did this book leave you in?Excited to read more by this author

The Review:This is going to be a tough one to review without spoilers ... but I'll try. First off, I think this book toyed with my expectations a bit ... or maybe my expectations toyed with me. The fairy tale retelling genre seems to be very dependent on "twists" and "new takes" and this is (at least at first) a very straightforward retelling of the original tale. It wasn't until near the end that the author introduced a few elements I hadn't seen before. However, the writing was dang good. Strong voice, really potent, nice mix of descriptions ... just good. I think that drew me in and kept me reading past when my jaded brain would otherwise have given up for "lack of novelty" (because I admit, as a reader, I'm very into the "shiny.") which might've been created by how closely this follows the original tale. The book isn't preachy. There is definitely an allegorical element that could've been preachy, but wasn't and it is overall a satisfying read I would recommend (definitely a short story rather than a full novel. Not a bad thing, in my book. I like short reads, but I know some people really like to spend days in a book, and this is an "afternoon" book, not a "days" book). My only beef: some elements of the allegory didn't work for me. It wasn't as clean and straight forward as say Narnia where "oh yeah, I get how this works with Aslan being a divine figure and also an "actively in the story figure." ... some of the allegorical elements felt like they needed more explanation for me (like how "magic" works generally in this world. If their King is literally a God figure is He immortal and all powerful or is He not exactly God just sort of an "image" of God that stands in for this world? Just little "world building" things I didn't get a sense of ... admittedly, a long explanation of how it works would probably be out of place in this short tale which kept a pretty decent pace and really never had a place to stop and "explain" itself). Ideal Audience:Lovers of fairy tale retellings who don't mind a little bit of spiritual undertones.

Books and movies you would compare this to:Narnia, some George MacDonald

Reviews by Readers

This blog features reviews of Fellowship of Fantasy titles submitted by readers.All reviews are the opinion of the reviewer, not necessarily of the Fellowship of the Fantasy's administrators or authors.Likewise content ratings applied to the books are at the discretion of that particular reader/reviewer. What may be a G for one may be PG for another.